Oh there are so many... how to choose.
This morning I was listening to Dravida Prabhu's narration of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is audio book, Chapters 2 and 3. In just ten minutes I dashed over to the computer several times to write down interesting quotes I heard. There's so much nectar in the Bhagavad-gita, every sentence, every verse, every purport...
"The Krishna conscious person is concerned only with the satisfaction of Krishna, and nothing else." - BG 2.64, purport
"Unless one is Krishna conscious, there is no possibility of peace." - BG 2.66, purport.
"Unless all of the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, even one of them engaged in sense gratification can deviate the devotee from the path of transcendental advancement. As mentioned in the life of Maharaja Ambarisha, all of the senses must be engaged in Krishna consciousness, for that is the correct technique for controlling the mind." - BG 2.67, purport.
"One can curb the forces of sense gratification only by means of Krishna consciousness, or engaging all the senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord." BG 2.68, purport.
"The devotees of Krishna have no material desires, and therefore they are in perfect peace." BG 2.70, purport.
"Because Krishna is the proprietor of everything, everything must be used for the satisfaction of Krishna." BG 2.71, purport.
"There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord. .. In the material world there are activities of sense gratification, whereas in the spiritual world there are activities of Krishna consciousness. .. One who is situated in Krishna consciousness has certainly already entered into the kingdom of God." BG 2.72, purport.
"Nothing should be performed for sense gratification, but everything should be done for the satisfaction of Krishna." BG 3.9, purport.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
ISKCON 2.0
Daydreaming of ISKCON 2.0. What would it look like? What services would it render the greater world - services that every person on the planet could appreciate and gain from? Community action projects that anyone anywhere can get involved with and utilize their talents, energy, resourcefulness to bring to fruition and improve upon?
The next generation ISKCON.
Here are the seven purposes of ISKCON laid out by our Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada during the incorporation of ISKCON in 1966:
a) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
b) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
c) To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
d) To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
e) To erect for the members and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
f) To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
g) With a view towards achieving the aforementioned Purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
Taking to heart and expanding on the above purposes, ISKCON 2.0 might offer:
EDUCATION - All manners of multi-cultural, multi-ethnic diverse educational institutions and facilities that teach the underlying principles of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal nature of all souls, in a spirit of the common Fatherhood and thus brotherhood of all living entities. Human cooperation in God consciousness, on the level of "we are spirit souls, parts and parcels of, and servants of, the same God" and external, temporary designations do not much matter. Character and values education based on the Vedas. How to live in the mode of goodness and beyond (pure goodness, or sattva-guna, or our real, eternal sanatan dharma state of being.)
- leadership schools
- K-8
- colleges and universities
- traditional gurukula schools with gurus as the resident "acharyas"
- workshops, seminars, weekend retreats, monastic ashram seminaries (one month, six-month, one-year), teaching the principles, values, character traits and benefits of a Krishna conscious life, outlook, world view.
- Bhakti yoga teacher training courses
OUTREACH & NETWORKING - all manners of innovative outreach to connect with people, lend a helping hand, and at the same time educate about our sanatana dharma eternal nature - separate from this body and this world. From traditional preaching, to teaching, to sharing and friendship-building organizations and groups and clubs that connect devotees of Krishna with people in all walks of life - giving opportunity to show how Sanatana Dharma, or Krishna Consciousness, or Bhakti yoga, is relevant in every sphere of their lives at all times, at every moment. To help them improve their lives materially and spiritually, temporarily and eternally.
- Krishna Student Centers at every university.
- Community Bhakti-sanga groups in every city.
- Vegetarian restaurants and snack bars with reading rooms (audio / video) in pedestrian zones, shopping centers, airports...
- Food For Life done right.
- Feed the Soul campaigns. (Jiva Jago... wake up!)
- Community and Disaster Services providing the highest welfare work, that is, help for the soul, in addition to help for the body. Offering tangible solutions on how to stop our material miseries while making friends with people in need and lending a helping hand on a level they can relate to.
- Sanatana Dharma Initiative - A socio-economic-political initiative / think-tank / brain trust that can offer an alternative to communism, capitalism, anarchy, etc... based on hands-on, real-world implementable values. Krishna conscious economics, environmental policy, sociology, Krishna conscious community / country / nation. What would a Krishna conscious society look like, that accommodates other religions and faiths but is based on Sanatana Dharma commonalities? What three things can every man, woman and child in the world do today to work towards that better future?
SANKIRTAN / KIRTAN: We are the kirtan people. Kirtan means Hari kirtan, glorifying our common Father, Hari, God, Krishna, Allah, Jahwe.
- to systematically teach and propagate the kirtan (chanting) of Krishna's names as means, method and goal of meditation, bhakti yoga, as the most easy and sublime and practical method of meditation in this age.
- to become known for kirtan - pure, umotivated, service-driven Hari kirtan solely for the purpose of glorifying Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, in the mood of cultivating our love for Them, calling out to them in gratitude, connectedness.
- to teach mantra meditation retreats and workshops (japa / kirtan) to get free from stress and material misery, transcend this body and its limitations, connect to our eternal source of bliss and knowledge, the way to SAT CHIT ANANDA, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.
- to teach the world about the "Father of kirtan" - Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - and about the great spiritual teacher who brought kirtan to the west, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
- Sankirtan street parties inviting people by the thousands to join in the "march." 24-hour kirtan vigils in public places, embassies, malls... in the spirit of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's massive street sankirtan parties.
- Kirtan radio stations (Internet, satellite and terrestrial.)
COMMUNITIES:
- intentional communities based on Sanatana Dharma principles and values
- Varnashrama Dharma communities, workshops, seminars, retreats, educational campaigns.
- WOOFA friendly farm communities where volunteers can come and stay for a while.
- beyond organic, karma-free farms producing ethical vegan-friendly dairy products.
- devotee businesses of all types providing a Krishna conscious work environment, allowing devotees to have KC association in the workplace, observe devotional practices (time for the morning and evening programs), devotee cooks preparing the company prasadam lunch, etc.
TEMPLES:
- student centers, community gatherings, workshops, seminars, retreats would bring in a steady stream of interested people. Those who want to study more in-depth, seminary style, would spend a month, a semester, a year living in residence in an ashram at a temple and serve there, invigorating existing temples... There would be curriculum and degree programs at the temples giving people an incentive to come and study there. Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti Vaibhava, Bhakti Vedanta, Bhakti Sarvabhauma... along with hands-on, practical application of Bhakti yoga, devotional service to the Deity, the Holy Name, the Vaishnavas, the Dhama...
- new temples would be built as congregations develop in each city.
BOOKS / PERIODICALS:
- Bhagavad-gita As It Is for every human being on this planet - an organized effort to distribute Bhagavad-gitas (including the MP3 audio book bundled with it) in mass quantities, sponsored, donated, subsidized..., in the way another well-known organization rallies forces to distribute their literature.
- Krishna.com and related web projects, working hand-in-hand with local temples, community gatherings..
- Back to Godhead magazine alive, vibrant, relevant and relatable to the general public.
- Other publications for our internal "practicing devotee" audiences.
- Websites and magazines for different segments of society, for children, youth, business people, business leaders, managers, focusing on how to make the world, this life and the next successful through the principles and values and ethics of Sanatana Dharma.
- Books on every subject, written by ISKCON devotees, contributing the rich resource of Vedic knowledge to the global discussion on topics such as the environment, politics, leadership, success in life, love, marriage, etc.
- Full set of Srila Prabhupada's books (CC, SB, BG, NOD, ISO, NOI, KB, TQK, etc) in every library (university, college, public...)
- All books available as digital books for purchase through all available digital outlets (currently Amazon.com, Sony, Google, etc.)
- All books available as good quality audio books (MP3, MP4, etc) for listening on portable devices, smart phones, etc.
- Liberal "creative commons" license on mass-distribution friendly e-books, audio books, etc, to widely make these literatures available to anyone with an Internet connection. (What would Bhaktivinode Thakur have done with the Internet? The effort it took in those days to send just one book, "The Life and Precepts of Lord Chaitanya" to a handful of universities across the world... What would he do with the Internet, e-mail, e-books?)
- Follow-up services for people who have read a book and have questions, etc.
=========
In my ideal daydream, as wishes go, ISKCON 2.0 would have all types of engagement and interest / activist groups that any person anywhere on the planet could connect with, relate with, benefit from, get involved with, donate towards, volunteer for, feel like they can proudly tell their co-worker about.
The next generation ISKCON.
Here are the seven purposes of ISKCON laid out by our Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada during the incorporation of ISKCON in 1966:
a) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
b) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
c) To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
d) To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
e) To erect for the members and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
f) To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
g) With a view towards achieving the aforementioned Purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.
Taking to heart and expanding on the above purposes, ISKCON 2.0 might offer:
EDUCATION - All manners of multi-cultural, multi-ethnic diverse educational institutions and facilities that teach the underlying principles of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal nature of all souls, in a spirit of the common Fatherhood and thus brotherhood of all living entities. Human cooperation in God consciousness, on the level of "we are spirit souls, parts and parcels of, and servants of, the same God" and external, temporary designations do not much matter. Character and values education based on the Vedas. How to live in the mode of goodness and beyond (pure goodness, or sattva-guna, or our real, eternal sanatan dharma state of being.)
- leadership schools
- K-8
- colleges and universities
- traditional gurukula schools with gurus as the resident "acharyas"
- workshops, seminars, weekend retreats, monastic ashram seminaries (one month, six-month, one-year), teaching the principles, values, character traits and benefits of a Krishna conscious life, outlook, world view.
- Bhakti yoga teacher training courses
OUTREACH & NETWORKING - all manners of innovative outreach to connect with people, lend a helping hand, and at the same time educate about our sanatana dharma eternal nature - separate from this body and this world. From traditional preaching, to teaching, to sharing and friendship-building organizations and groups and clubs that connect devotees of Krishna with people in all walks of life - giving opportunity to show how Sanatana Dharma, or Krishna Consciousness, or Bhakti yoga, is relevant in every sphere of their lives at all times, at every moment. To help them improve their lives materially and spiritually, temporarily and eternally.
- Krishna Student Centers at every university.
- Community Bhakti-sanga groups in every city.
- Vegetarian restaurants and snack bars with reading rooms (audio / video) in pedestrian zones, shopping centers, airports...
- Food For Life done right.
- Feed the Soul campaigns. (Jiva Jago... wake up!)
- Community and Disaster Services providing the highest welfare work, that is, help for the soul, in addition to help for the body. Offering tangible solutions on how to stop our material miseries while making friends with people in need and lending a helping hand on a level they can relate to.
- Sanatana Dharma Initiative - A socio-economic-political initiative / think-tank / brain trust that can offer an alternative to communism, capitalism, anarchy, etc... based on hands-on, real-world implementable values. Krishna conscious economics, environmental policy, sociology, Krishna conscious community / country / nation. What would a Krishna conscious society look like, that accommodates other religions and faiths but is based on Sanatana Dharma commonalities? What three things can every man, woman and child in the world do today to work towards that better future?
SANKIRTAN / KIRTAN: We are the kirtan people. Kirtan means Hari kirtan, glorifying our common Father, Hari, God, Krishna, Allah, Jahwe.
- to systematically teach and propagate the kirtan (chanting) of Krishna's names as means, method and goal of meditation, bhakti yoga, as the most easy and sublime and practical method of meditation in this age.
- to become known for kirtan - pure, umotivated, service-driven Hari kirtan solely for the purpose of glorifying Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, in the mood of cultivating our love for Them, calling out to them in gratitude, connectedness.
- to teach mantra meditation retreats and workshops (japa / kirtan) to get free from stress and material misery, transcend this body and its limitations, connect to our eternal source of bliss and knowledge, the way to SAT CHIT ANANDA, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.
- to teach the world about the "Father of kirtan" - Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu - and about the great spiritual teacher who brought kirtan to the west, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
- Sankirtan street parties inviting people by the thousands to join in the "march." 24-hour kirtan vigils in public places, embassies, malls... in the spirit of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's massive street sankirtan parties.
- Kirtan radio stations (Internet, satellite and terrestrial.)
COMMUNITIES:
- intentional communities based on Sanatana Dharma principles and values
- Varnashrama Dharma communities, workshops, seminars, retreats, educational campaigns.
- WOOFA friendly farm communities where volunteers can come and stay for a while.
- beyond organic, karma-free farms producing ethical vegan-friendly dairy products.
- devotee businesses of all types providing a Krishna conscious work environment, allowing devotees to have KC association in the workplace, observe devotional practices (time for the morning and evening programs), devotee cooks preparing the company prasadam lunch, etc.
TEMPLES:
- student centers, community gatherings, workshops, seminars, retreats would bring in a steady stream of interested people. Those who want to study more in-depth, seminary style, would spend a month, a semester, a year living in residence in an ashram at a temple and serve there, invigorating existing temples... There would be curriculum and degree programs at the temples giving people an incentive to come and study there. Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti Vaibhava, Bhakti Vedanta, Bhakti Sarvabhauma... along with hands-on, practical application of Bhakti yoga, devotional service to the Deity, the Holy Name, the Vaishnavas, the Dhama...
- new temples would be built as congregations develop in each city.
BOOKS / PERIODICALS:
- Bhagavad-gita As It Is for every human being on this planet - an organized effort to distribute Bhagavad-gitas (including the MP3 audio book bundled with it) in mass quantities, sponsored, donated, subsidized..., in the way another well-known organization rallies forces to distribute their literature.
- Krishna.com and related web projects, working hand-in-hand with local temples, community gatherings..
- Back to Godhead magazine alive, vibrant, relevant and relatable to the general public.
- Other publications for our internal "practicing devotee" audiences.
- Websites and magazines for different segments of society, for children, youth, business people, business leaders, managers, focusing on how to make the world, this life and the next successful through the principles and values and ethics of Sanatana Dharma.
- Books on every subject, written by ISKCON devotees, contributing the rich resource of Vedic knowledge to the global discussion on topics such as the environment, politics, leadership, success in life, love, marriage, etc.
- Full set of Srila Prabhupada's books (CC, SB, BG, NOD, ISO, NOI, KB, TQK, etc) in every library (university, college, public...)
- All books available as digital books for purchase through all available digital outlets (currently Amazon.com, Sony, Google, etc.)
- All books available as good quality audio books (MP3, MP4, etc) for listening on portable devices, smart phones, etc.
- Liberal "creative commons" license on mass-distribution friendly e-books, audio books, etc, to widely make these literatures available to anyone with an Internet connection. (What would Bhaktivinode Thakur have done with the Internet? The effort it took in those days to send just one book, "The Life and Precepts of Lord Chaitanya" to a handful of universities across the world... What would he do with the Internet, e-mail, e-books?)
- Follow-up services for people who have read a book and have questions, etc.
=========
In my ideal daydream, as wishes go, ISKCON 2.0 would have all types of engagement and interest / activist groups that any person anywhere on the planet could connect with, relate with, benefit from, get involved with, donate towards, volunteer for, feel like they can proudly tell their co-worker about.
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